


Magic Shop

by RensSaxophone



Series: Ranmaru's Birthday!! 2020 [4]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26603362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone
Summary: Ranmaru feels a drawing towards a strange shop, and when he leaves with an item from it, he finds that he's gotten more than just the item.
Relationships: Jinguuji Ren/Kurosaki Ranmaru
Series: Ranmaru's Birthday!! 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929976
Kudos: 4





	Magic Shop

**Author's Note:**

> Day six of Ranmaru's birthday! Less than a week to go.

Normally, Ranmaru didn’t make it a habit to enter strange shops. Usually, he stuck to what he knew, but for whatever reason he had seen a little matchbox and he had been drawn towards the door with a power that even he couldn’t stop himself from following. He pushes open the door, and for as cramped and strange as the very full… _unique_ shop _was_ \- he didn’t feel an urge to leave it. 

What was wrong with him? He should be turning tail. Especially when he sees mysterious, unmarked liquids and floating pens that he can’t see the strings on. And then when the shopkeeper exits from the backroom, Ranmaru feels bewildered. He’s dressed strangely, like something out of a storage book. Peter Pan is the first character that comes to mind- or Robin Hood. Something that absolutely no one on the street was wearing, but even this man’s appearance wouldn’t send Ranmaru out. 

If Ranmaru looked under the costume, the man was pretty attractive. He had long, sunset orange hair, and clear, tanned skin, and blue eyes that shone with the absurd green of his outfit. 

But damn that outfit. 

“How can I help you?” The man smiles, leaning forward on the desk. Ranmaru’s eyes search for a nametag, but there’s nothing of the sort. Ranmaru’s too quiet for too long, but the man simply holds his amused smile. 

“The matchbox.” Ranmaru finally grunts. “Was interested in it.”

“Ah.” Ranmaru finds it almost unbelievable that the man even knows what he’s talking about- such a small item in a shop full of a ridiculous amount of tiny things. The shop keep moves around the desk, to head to a spot closer to the window, picking up and holding the tin to show it off. “This?”

Ranmaru just nods. 

“A good choice.” The man’s laugh is very nice. It’s a deep, clear sound that resounds through the room _somehow_ \- how any noise traveled in a room this crowded was insane. 

“Dunno if I’m gettin’ it.” Ranmaru’s hand lifts to rub the back of his neck. “Don’t smoke ‘r anythin’. Dunno what I really need _matches_ for.”

“Well that’s no problem.” The man heads towards the counter once again. “There’s not matches in here.”

“...Then it’s an empty matchbox? Dunno that I need that, either.” Ranmaru wasn’t the type to spend his money on a whim, after all. Though he’s still tempted to get it, anyways. Normally he can rationalize his way out of unnecessary purchases. Why was this different?

“That’s not what I said, either. All of my items are set to go to a very specific person. If this is calling to you, it must have something you need.” 

Ranmaru doubted that. He also doubted that it wasn’t actually full of matches, or that it wasn’t actually empty. But as the man brings himself behind the counter to start marking up the item and putting it into a small bag, Ranmaru finds himself a reason to get it. It’d be fine to put his pics in. Maybe he’d lose them less.

He can’t believe he’s actually getting this. 

Ranmaru’s never going back into this shop again. It was so crowded that he couldn’t even tell what half of the items were supposed to be, and he couldn’t tell what use they had or even how big (or small) the shop was. The shop keeper was pushy and talked a lot of nonsense, and Ranmaru had a weird feeling, standing in the shop. If he had to start avoiding this street to avoid this shop, so be it. 

“That’ll be… one dollar.”

“Huh?” Ranmaru eyes the little tin. He thinks it’s a fair price- but it’s suspiciously fair. It really must be empty. “...Alright.” Ranmaru reaches into his wallet to take out the money, setting it on the counter. The man trades it, pushing the bag towards Ranmaru. 

“I hope it works well for you.”

Ranmaru’s eyes narrow, but he just takes the bag and turns, trying to ignore the man’s laugh behind him at his reaction. 

Ranmaru is hardly outside when he takes the tin out to open it. 

It is, as he expected… empty. 

Big surprise. 

It was only a buck, Ranmaru assures himself. He didn’t set himself back getting it- and now he’s got a pic case. It was fine. 

When he’s back home, he drops the tin next to the bowl he keeps his wallet and keys in and he kicks off his shoes to go make himself dinner. He wants to just forget about it, but when his hands aren’t busy, his eyes drift to the little black, metal box. He finally huffs and makes his way towards it. 

He needed to figure out why he couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

It doesn’t take a very long investigation to figure out what’s not quite right about it. 

“Straw...berry?” It’s a word, engraved into the underside of the lid. Ranmaru hears a loud noise behind him, and what feels like a gust of wind, and he stumbles back into his door when he notices a _person_ in his living room. His shoulder aches when he hits it against the wood, 

“What the fuck?!” Ranmaru’s eyes are too wide. It’s the man from the shop, looking just as confused as Ranmaru would be if he weren’t currently in the throes of panic. 

“How did you call me?” The man’s eyebrows furrow, and then his eyes flicker to the tin- no longer in Ranmaru’s hands. It’s set on the floor, the lid separate with its underside facing up, exposing the word. “Ah. A summon word. That’s… strange.”

“Summon word?” Ranmaru demands. He’s slowly pulling himself together, but he isn’t stepping any further towards this man. “How’d you get into my apartment?”

“Magic.” The man says it so smoothly, with no hesitation. Ranmaru almost laughs at him. “According to your item, it seems like you needed _me_. And my items are never wrong.” He smiles. “I’m Ren.”

“Ren. Get outta my house.”

Ren laughs, completely unalarmed by Ranmaru’s demands. “Are you sure you want to send me away? The matchbox sent me to you. Aren’t you interested in why?”

“This is some weird fuckin’ fever dream. ‘R you tricked me ‘n pickpocketed my key.” Ranmaru glances at the bowl where his keys still lay. 

“And figured out where you lived? And managed to get here before you, too, at that. Think about it. There is no practical answer.”

“But magic’s ridiculous. Stuff fer story books ‘n shit.”

“Who’s to say we aren’t living in a story book?” Ren sounds amused. “Relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Yeah. Yer only gonna break into my house.”

“You called me.” Ren reminds gently. “Because something in you wanted to. You didn’t need to read that word out loud. You didn’t need to investigate the matchbox, or to buy it from me- or even to enter my store. You _wanted_ to.”

“If you’re stickin’ with this magic thing, why should I believe you didn’t make me?”

Ren smiles, but Ranmaru doesn’t feel that it fits his next thought. “Why would I willingly give you a word that allows you to summon me from anywhere at anytime? I have nothing against you- and I’m certainly not angry that you got my summon word… but I wouldn’t just give that to a random stranger.”

“So yer like a genie.”

“I’m not imprisoned, nor is my magic limited. But if that’s what helps you understand it, then I suppose so.”

“I’m still not real comfortable with a total fuckin’ _magical_ stranger bein’ in my house.”

Ren shakes his head, but his amusement only seems to grow stronger. “If you’re that insistent on kicking me out, I’ll leave. But you have my word. If you need me- feel free to pick up your box and summon me.” Ren winks, but before Ranmaru can move away from his door to try to get Ren to leave through it, Ren is gone with nothing more than a noise and a burst of something that feels like wind. 

Ranmaru’s drawing towards the box only goes away for most of that day. 

And then, during the night, as he’s trying to sleep- he _can’t_. It doesn’t make sense to him. Ranmaru can _always_ sleep. 

But now, he just feels so incredibly… lonely. 

It’s enough to keep him staring forward in the dark, a word coursing through his mind. 

_Strawberry_. 

It must be nearing midnight. Even if Ranmaru could decide that he wanted Ren back in his house, he wasn’t sure that midnight was a good time to call him. But everything in Ranmaru wanted to go to the box. 

He finally gives in, throwing his legs over the bed and standing up. It was hard to describe the want he felt when thinking of the box. It was like he hadn’t had food in weeks and he was faced with a steak, two feet from his face, and was trying to tell himself not to eat it. 

Ranmaru grabs the box and slides the lid open with his thumb. He doesn’t remember ever closing the box. He doesn’t remember picking the box up, either. 

“Strawberry.” 

Ranmaru’s voice is a grumble. 

When Ren appears, he seems to be a bit sleepy. He’s still wearing his costume, but it was still clear that Ranmaru hadn’t woken him. He seems curious, seeing Ranmaru. 

“You rang?” Ren grins. Ranmaru stays quiet, just watching Ren. “And just what made you want to summon me?”

“I dunno.” Ranmaru finally says, resisting the urge to scowl. He wasn’t in a great mood- but even he wasn’t enough of a dick to be rude to Ren after knowingly calling him in the middle of the night. 

“You do.” It’s not an accusation, but it feels like one. “You know why you called me. Just tell me the truth.”

Ranmaru’s mouth works for a second, no sounds coming out, and then he finally closes his eyes and sighs. “I’m lonely.”

Ranmaru isn’t sure what he expects. To be made fun of? For Ren to laugh? For Ren to decide that this was a waste of time? Couldn’t Ren just take this word back, anyways? Obviously Ranmaru needed the box to actually call Ren, or he’d have called Ren a long time ago. Strawberry wasn’t exactly a complicated word. 

“I have an idea. Why don’t you try laying down?” 

Ranmaru’s eyes open, but only enough to narrow them at Ren. He’s not sure, at all, what Ren’s plan is- but his only guess is maybe that Ren’ll use his magic to put Ranmaru to sleep. So he slowly moves forward, and he hears Ren following behind him. Ranmaru is even slower, to actually lay in bed, but Ren just waits. Quiet. Patient. 

When Ranmaru’s settled back into bed, Ren sits himself on the upper edge of the bed. At first, Ranmaru is tense- but then Ren’s hand lowers, to pet through Ranmaru’s hair. Ranmaru waits, unsure if Ren is going to decide to use his magic, but he doesn’t. He just slowly pets through Ranmaru’s hair until Ranmaru finds his body relaxing and his eyes feeling heavier. 

He’s almost surprised to find that this really does make him feel better. The heavy loneliness that had settled in his chest is non-existent, and Ren’s touch is actually sending a pleasant warmth through Ranmaru’s chest.

And Ranmaru can’t believe to find that he’s _happy_ when he notices that he’s not alone when he wakes up. Ren is leaning against the wall, his hand still in Ranmaru’s hair, his eyes closed. Ranmaru selfishly takes a moment, to just stay still himself and let Ren’s hand stay laced in his hair, but then he finally sits up. Ren doesn’t actually wake up. Ranmaru sighs, but he carefully moves Ren, to readjust him. He doesn’t tuck Ren in, but he does lay Ren down in the empty bed before wondering why he did. 

Ranmaru shakes it off to go into the kitchen. 

Ranmaru doesn’t even realize that he makes too much breakfast- too much to eat himself, but just enough to feed two people. 

Ren might not even be in the room anymore. Ranmaru was surprised that he even stayed the night. 

Ranmaru eats his own breakfast by himself, annoyed that the lonely feeling is actually beginning to return. There’s no calling to the tin box. 

And Ranmaru realizes that it might be because Ren is still here- especially after Ren walks out of the bedroom, his eyes falling to the extra plate. His voice is sleepy, but teasing. “Are you that hungry? Or is that specially made for me?”

“You can ‘ave it.” Ranmaru grumbles. “Just made too much.”

“You still haven’t given me a name.” Ren comments, taking the plate. He clearly doesn’t believe Ranmaru’s piss-poor excuse, but he pretends to. 

“...Ranmaru.”

“Ranmaru.” Ren sits down. “So what do you do for a living?”

“‘M a chef.” Ranmaru should stand up, to take his empty plate to the sink, but he waits. He just sits down across from Ren. 

“And friends?” Ren glances up to meet Ranmaru’s eyes and he holds them. “I can’t imagine that you have a lover- if you called _me_ because you were lonely.”

Ranmaru scowls. “No. I don’t ‘ave a relationship. ‘N I don’t ‘ave any friends either- ‘n don’t give me that look. I’m fine.”

“Based off of last night, I don’t think you are.”

Ranmaru’s scowl only deepens, a frown now on his face. “It’s that stupid box. I was fine ‘fore I got it.”

“You weren’t.” Ren sounds so sure. “The box doesn’t force you to feel anything. It only strengthens what you already do.”

“So what? Yer supposed ‘t be my friend now?” Ranmaru’s voice is sarcastic. He rolls his eyes. “This normal?”

“Friends. Or something more.” Ren shrugs, entirely unbothered by the thought. “And it’s certainly not. Normally the items give you something. Something that you need- but I’ve never had an item offer _me_.” 

“‘N why ‘r you just allowin’ it?” Ranmaru’s eyebrow lifts. Ren’s plate is somehow halfway gone, even with their conversation. 

“Because I trust in my magic. If the item that chose you thinks that I have what you need- then I’ll do my best to fulfill it.”

Ranmaru finally stands, because a type of anger is filling his stomach and it’s making him feel sick. 

“Then what? I get whatever it thinks I need, ‘n then you just drop me ‘n go back ‘t yer life? Because if that’s the plan you can just fuck off. ‘M not fuckin’ disposable.” 

Ren gets up- so calm for the situation, though his eyebrows are furrowed. His expression is serious with no trace of a smile. No amusement. “Of course not. That’s not how it works.” As Ranmaru goes to start washing his dish, Ren rests his arms on the counter, still closely watching Ranmaru’s face. “Just because I can use magic doesn’t make me any less human than you, either. I told you. I believe in my magic. I think that this is meant to be good for you _and_ for me- and whether we end up as friends or as something more, that would be a meaningful connection. I’m not immune to those.” Ren watches Ranmaru’s face- his jaw is tensed, his attention stays on the plate. Ren’s voice softens and it makes Ranmaru wince. “You don’t believe me.”

“I don’t. I don’t even trust myself right now.” Ranmaru’s eyes narrow into a glare, his grip too tight on the plate in his hands. When the plate cracks under the pressure, Ranmaru feels a force stronger than himself take the plate, the crack repairing in front of his eyes as it settles onto the counter besides Ranmaru, clean and dry. “Why should I trust you?”

“I suppose you’ll just have to make a leap of faith. But I stayed last night. I’m here right now. What do you think my summon word does?”

“It makes you come here.” Ranmaru says flatly. “Obviously.”

“Not obviously.” Ren shakes his head. “Because it doesn’t make me do anything. You’re not controlling me. I’m told that you’re asking for me, and I can make the choice if I want to come or not. You could use that summon word over and over again, but if I didn’t want to show up, I wouldn’t.”  
“We don’t know each other.”

“But we can get to know each other.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“The same thing that you’ll get out of it. I don’t have regulars in my shop, Ran.” Ranmaru’s eyes flicker between Ren’s eyes, unsure of how to feel about the nickname. “You said that you don’t have any friends- well, I don’t either. I see people come in and out, but no one needs my store twice. It isn’t surprising that you’re lonely. I’m lonely, too.”

Ranmaru’s jaw relaxes, only to tense again, and he repeats this a few times before he finally sighs. “If yer gonna finish yer food, finish it.”

Ren does choose to finish his food, but when he’s done, he decides to stick around in the apartment. 

“Don’t you ‘ave a job?” Ranmaru finally asks, hours after Ren has made himself comfortable in Ranmaru’s home.

“For now- I’m planning to stay unless you ask me to leave. How will we get closer unless we’re around each other?” Ren’s smile is just a bit too innocent. Ranmaru shakes his head. 

It’s that night that Ranmaru finally tells Ren that he should leave. “You’ve already been ‘ere all day. ‘N you’ve probably only slept ‘a couple ‘a hours anyways.”

“I’m fine.” Ren assures. “Unless you’re ordering me out.” 

Ranmaru rolls his eyes. “Guess I am then. Git.”

Ren sighs, but he stands. “If you need me, you know how to call me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ranmaru barely finishes his sentence before Ren is gone. 

That night, Ranmaru can’t sleep. He finds himself curled up too tightly in his bed, staring into the darkness in his room. Ranmaru’s chest feels too tight, and his room feels too empty. Ranmaru can only keep himself away from the matchbox for an hour, because the longer he holds out, the more of a calling he feels towards it. He finally sighs, sitting himself up and heading out into his living room. 

Ranmaru was getting real sick of this whole not being able to sleep business. 

“Strawberry.” Ranmaru grumbles. 

Ren clearly hasn’t fallen asleep, though he does seem tired. It’s almost like he expected Ranmaru to call him back. 

“My bed’s big enough fer two people.” Ranmaru grumbles, heading back into his bedroom. Ren gives a soft chuckle from behind him, but Ranmaru can tell he’s following. Ranmaru gets into his bed, into the furthest side. Ren gets into the bed, but for the moment, he stays sitting up, to pet through Ranmaru’s hair. 

A part of Ranmaru wants to tell Ren that he can just lay down and go to sleep, but the warm feeling is back in his chest and his eyes already feel heavy and he can’t bring himself too. 

Luckily, in the morning, when Ranmaru wakes up, Ren is asleep besides him- actually laying in the bed this time. 

Ranmaru stops sending Ren away, because even when he tries to send him off during the day, his compulsion to call him back proves to be too strong. 

But when their relationship begins steadily moving forward, Ranmaru finally lets it, and it’s undeniably because Ren keeps trying to convince him to let it. Ren finally wins. 

“How do you feel, Ran?” Ren asks one night. Ren has stopped petting through Ranmaru’s hair at night, because now they sleep together. Ranmaru sometimes thought about what it would be like, to sleep with someone in his bed, and he always assumed that he’d be the one wrapping his partner up in his arms. Ren usually holds Ranmaru. Ranmaru can’t say that he minds it- not when it keeps the warm, happy feeling heavy in his chest. 

“What d’ya mean?”

“Are you feeling okay?” Ren’s leg wraps over Ranmaru’s waist. He no longer sleeps in that ridiculous costume- though he still wears it in the day. Ranmaru still thinks it’s silly, but it’s become just a bit more charming, too. “We don’t talk about it very much- but if the box was calling you so strongly, you must have really repressed things.”

Ranmaru sighs, his eyes not opening. “I’m fine, Ren. Really.”

“I don’t know that I believe you.” Ren says gently, pressing his nose to the back of Ranmaru’s neck. “You’re a good person, Ran. I’m sorry that more people haven’t stuck around long enough to see that. In fact- I think I’m lucky that you found my store. Normally, items are supposed to give _you_ what you want… but I think I got the best end out of this deal. I like having you. I like being with you. You’re sweet, and adorable, and you’re incredibly handsome and kind. Everything about you leaves me enamored. And you deserve so much, baby. You deserve to be happy and you _don’t_ deserve to feel miserable. I love you. You’re very loved. And I hope you remember that.”

“Why’re you so soft today?” Ranmaru’s voice is just a bit too gentle. It shows Ren just how he’s really affecting Ranmaru. 

“You seemed sad earlier.” Ren admits. “Reminiscent. And I thought you could use some reminders.” Ren presses a kiss to the back of Ranmaru’s neck. “A reality check.”

“Yer magic must be real strong.” Ranmaru mumbles. “If it’s even affectin’ you.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying, but I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again- I’m not creating anything. My magic enhances what’s already felt, and Ran, it hasn’t even done that in quite some time. Everything you feel, and everything I feel, is completely real. The only magic in play here is love. I promise.”

“That’s cheesy.”

“But true.” Ren smiles, hugging Ranmaru tighter to himself. “And you’re allowed to be sad. But you’re not allowed to forget that you really, truly, genuinely mean so much to me.” Ren’s grin is wide, and Ranmaru knows it without seeing it. “In fact-” Ranmaru can see the bad joke coming from miles away. “I think _you’re_ magical.”

Ranmaru’s eye roll is very fond.


End file.
